


Don't let me go

by benjiwyatt



Category: Lizzie Bennet Diaries, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Genre: F/M, Pemberley arc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-22
Updated: 2013-06-21
Packaged: 2017-12-15 18:04:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/852450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/benjiwyatt/pseuds/benjiwyatt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>pemberley arc, in which Lizzie's opinion of Darcy is decidedly changed and flirting ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't let me go

Pemberley Digital was nothing like Lizzie expected Darcy’s company to be. She was fully prepared for a pretentious building full of pretentious people doing pretentious work overlooking a pretentious skyline who all secretly hated their pretentious CEO.

However, Lizzie was happily surprised with Pemberley. She was a little in love with it, actually. It was everything she’d ever wanted in a company, and the people were friendly and welcoming and made her feel like she belonged. Even Darcy. He was turning out to be one of her favorite people at the place, but she’d never admit that to anyone. Ever. 

She really enjoyed the people she worked closely with. Lizzie had always been a people watcher, and she prided herself on having the ability to sketch someone’s character by just watching the way they carry themselves in public. It was almost a foolproof method of character judgment - until recently. She made a few hasty judgements on people without really getting to know them. She knows better now. 

Pemberley’s workers had proved to be nothing but kind and endearing, just like Gigi was during Lizzie’s first tour of the company. There was Kerry, with the blonde braid and kind face who’d sometimes surprise Lizzie with her usual coffee order in the morning. There was Jacob, who’d get super frustrated with his rubiks cube when he couldn’t solve it (which, as Lizzie observed, was every single time he tried). There was Annie, who took hilarious selfies on the company computers just so one of the IT guys would find them when they monitored the computers. She and Lizzie once took a photo in which each of them tried to get more double chins than the other. Anne won. 

She especially enjoyed watching Ken work. He had shock-white hair that stood up in all different directions and wore a tweed jacket and smelled like tobacco and reminded Lizzie of her father in a way that made her homesick. Lizzie would watch him assemble airplanes in his cubicle when he thought nobody was watching. Instead of typing up business reports, he watched funny youtube videos (She’s not sure if he’s found hers yet. If he has, he hasn’t said anything). One day, when Lizzie was already done with all her work and had filmed both of her videos for the week, she found herself quite contented in watching Ken do his thing. Today he was lost inside the irresistible challenge of the crossword puzzle. His face would scrunch up into a mask of utter disgust when he couldn’t figure out a word, and it would release into one of pure, euphoric joy when he got it. He looked like a petulant five year old who always got his way. 

Lizzie giggled silently to herself when Ken nearly shouted with delight when he got an answer he’d been stuck on for a while.

“Miss Bennet,” a voice from behind her whispered, “I would hate to put a damper on your day, but I’m afraid Mr. Bryant is happily married.” 

Lizzie turned to find William Darcy standing beside her. She was thrown for a minute, because he was actually smiling at her and it was actually really infectious and she couldn’t help but grin back. What did he say to her again? Something about Ken. Um, that he was married? “Yeah, I know.” she replied. Smooth, Lizzie, she berated herself. Don’t be rude. 

If it came off rude, Darcy didn’t notice. Or he chose not to. “Oh, so you were aware of that!” he gasped in mock astonishment. “Have all my previous opinions of you been completely wrong? Are you so infatuated with Ken that you are willing to wreck his marriage? He has two beautiful kids, I might add. I think one even mentioned liking Colin Firth in the King’s speech at the last company party. You’d like her.” 

Had this encounter happened six months ago - hell, even two weeks ago - she would have written off Darcy’s comment as disapproving and critical. But it wasn’t two weeks ago, and her feelings toward Darcy have most certainly begun to change. 

Lizzie laughed in response and Darcy gave her a tiny smile back. “Oh, man.” She snapped her finger in dejection. “And here I was, thinking I had a chance.” 

Darcy tilted his head pensively and spoke quietly Lizzie almost didn't even hear: "Well, you know..." he opened his mouth as if he was about to say something more, but he closed it just as quickly, keeping whatever words he had for her locked up in his lungs. 

“He just makes his really great face when he’s doing a crossword puzzle.” She felt the need to explain to him. She gestured towards the empty space next to her. “Come here, watch with me.” He placed his hand dangerously close to Lizzie’s on the desk and casually leaned in towards her as if he was this close to her every day. 

Darcy watched Ken intently and Lizzie pretended to do the same. She was really just watching Darcy in the corner of her eye. Could he tell that her heart was beating erratically? Oh my God, was she sweating? 

Lizzie told herself that she was feeling these things solely because of the proximity, not because she felt anything special towards the man in question. 

Darcy turned back towards her, his face inches from hers, and quirked an eyebrow. “It seems as if Ken does have a rather peculiar way of solving crossword puzzles.” He remarked as he made his way behind her chair to the other side of her and rested his his elbow on the desk. “I’m sticking with the assumption that you have a crush on him, however.” He winked at her and Lizzie gasped.

“Shhhhh, he might hear you!” Lizzie exclaimed and swatted Darcy on the shoulder. 

He raised both hands up in the air and smirked. “You’re not denying it!” She giggled. She literally giggled. If you told past-Lizzie that she would eventually love Darcy’s company and giggle at his jokes, she would have thrown you in a blender. Now, it was what it was. People change. Opinions change. And, even if she wouldn’t admit it to herself, feelings could change. Drastically. 

“Now, I know that my presence is not as appealing to you as Ken’s may be,” Darcy began, “but I was wondering if you’d like to get lunch with me today.” 

Lizzie started to agree, but Darcy nervously interjected. “And Gigi. She’ll be there too. Maybe I could call Fitz! Or who knows, we could even invite Ken, if you really want. I was just kidding but he is a good man...” 

“Woah, Darcy, settle down, boy! It’s fine! I’d like to have lunch with you. And Gigi.” Lizzie answered. “Maybe we could invite Ken another time. He seems pretty into this crossword of his.” 

Darcy smiled sheepishly. “Yes, of course. A lunch da- um, invitation, would just distract him from his duties. Crosswords are very important for the brain.” He accidentally backed into a plant on his way out, too distracted by Lizzie to even watch where he was going. 

“Cleanup on aisle 5?” He joked as he bent over to clean up his mess.

Good Lord, he has a great ass, Lizzie thought. He must get it from all that bike riding he does. She chided herself for staring at her boss’s butt, but he wasn’t really her boss. She was just interning. She could stare all she wants. God damn it, Lizzie! It’s Darcy, for Christ’s sake. Don’t stare. 

Darcy cleared his throat and turned back towards Lizzie. “So, I’ll see you again shortly?”

“Absolutely.” She smiled up at him. His eyes flickered with an indescribable emotion as he silently nodded his head and walked out the door. 

They had a great lunch that day.


End file.
